The Day My Mom Came to Kindergarten
Author: Maureen Fergus
Illustrator: Mike Lowery
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Publication Date: March 1, 2013
I get what this book was going for. It's supposed to be a silly mixed-up day in which a kid's mom comes to kindergarten and then realizes just how difficult it can be to follow all of the rules (no outdoor shoes inside, no talking at storytime, no cutting in line). It could have been cute if the mom's gaffes had either been intentional (because she was being silly) or understandable (because she was excited). But most of these are a stretch. The mom doesn't know how to use glue? She gets frustrated over turn-taking? I guess they're trying to make a kindergartener's frustration seem more understandable and forgivable but the thing is, the mom is not a kindergartener. The book lacks the humour to make her actions seem reasonable and instead just make it seem like she has a severe intellectual disability (in which case, it feels like we're making fun of her by reading about her foibles). If the book were rewritten as "The Day My Pet Monkey Came to Kindergarten" it might have made a little more sense. Or maybe "The Day My Angry Baby Goat Came to Kindergarten."I feel like I'm sounding biased here because the mom character was portrayed badly and I'm a mom, but if you're reading this review you may also be a mom, so...from one mom to another, give it a miss.
Disclaimer: I received a digital galley of this book free from the publisher from NetGalley. I was not obliged to write a favourable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
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